I side with the 30-06 as my favorite all around round. As has been noted here, it can do just about anything, handle pretty much all the game in NA with good shot placement and heavier loads.

Having said that, my favorite hunting rifle is my dad’s Mannlicher MCA in .270. Partly for sentimental reasons, but also because it just plain does the job, it’s fun to shoot and it’s a serious tack-driver, even with the old scope. At the 100 yd state sight-in range my son and I invariably make one (small) hole with five rounds at the start of every season – sub-sub MOA. The set trigger is something else. Insanely light. My father used this rifle almost exclusively for the last half of his life.

The .270 is a great round. Great for deer. But it can’t do everything the 30-06 can. If I had to pick just one, it would be the 30-06. Plus, it’s got that great history behind it.

Here’s a quick (and not so great) pic of my three favorites for deer. The Mod. 70 and the BAR are in 30-06. The Mannlicher - .270. Both the Winchester and the Browning are sweet shooters and you can’t beat the follow-up, if you need it, on the BAR. The Mannlicher is just a bit easier to maneuver in the woods.

And for reaching far out and touching something? …I went with .300 Win Mag. It’s not as powerful as some of the other options, but I like its accuracy at long range, one of the flatter shooting calibers. I set this one up for LR competitions, but I wouldn’t mind hunting out west with it. (Last pic).

Gary